Covalen Notifies Government of Potential 720 Job Cuts in Dublin Operations
Outsourcing firm Covalen has notified the Irish Government of potential job cuts affecting 720 roles in its Dublin operations. The company, which provides content moderation and AI training services for Meta, has begun consultations with employees. This follows previous redundancies and a strike over pay, amid Meta's broader global workforce reductions and increased reliance on AI.
Covalen, an outsourcing firm that provides services to social media giant Meta, has informed the Irish Government of potential plans to eliminate hundreds of jobs. The Department of Enterprise has received a collective redundancy notification from the company, indicating that approximately 720 roles are at risk within its Dublin operations.
Yesterday, Covalen confirmed it has initiated consultations with a number of employees regarding these potential redundancies. In a statement, the company affirmed its commitment to supporting affected teams through this transition and adhering to the required consultation process in line with its obligations. The Communications Workers' Union (CWU), which represents some of the employees, expressed that staff were shocked and angered by the news.
This is not the first instance of redundancies at Covalen. In November 2023, the company began consultations for a previous round of redundancies, which ultimately resulted in approximately 300 job losses from over 400 roles initially under threat. In January, CWU members employed by Covalen undertook strike action in a dispute concerning redundancy pay and union recognition.
Covalen specializes in providing content moderation and AI training services for Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Last week, Meta announced its own plans to reduce its global workforce by approximately 8,000 jobs, or 10%. The impact of these broader Meta layoffs on its Irish operations, which directly employ around 1,800 people, remains uncertain. In March, Meta also revealed intentions to increasingly utilize advanced AI systems, which it stated would diminish its reliance on third-party suppliers for content moderation.